


Gut Punch

by realityisoverrated



Series: Infinite Love [80]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Angst, F/M, M/M, Polyamory, Polyfidelity, Smoaking billionaires, Toliver, flommy, olicity - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-25
Updated: 2017-01-25
Packaged: 2018-09-19 18:25:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9454667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/realityisoverrated/pseuds/realityisoverrated
Summary: After getting suspended from school, Nate confronts Tommy about their family secrets.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This story depicts a polyamorous relationship between one woman and two men. If this is not something you are interested in, please stop and go no further.
> 
> Your votes are in and this installment won - by one vote.
> 
> A big thanks and a huge squishy hug to ligiapimenta for the gift of the title fanart she sent me. It is premiering below.
> 
> Thank you for your continued support of this series. Your comments have been very entertaining and thought provoking. 
> 
> I'm not telling this series in chronological order. Some readers have requested that I provide a chronological order for the fics in the series. There is no need to read them in chronological order, but in case you'd like to, the list is below. This installment is 80/80. (There is a known issue at AO3. If viewing the stories from the series page, the story numbers aren't always correct. The story number when you open the individual stories is correct).  
> 1\. Beautiful Stranger (Part 28)  
> 2\. The Hack of the Golden Dragon (Part 36)  
> 3\. Girl Wednesday (Part 41)  
> 4\. This Time Last Year (Part 44)  
> 5\. The First Time (Part 1)  
> 6\. Aloe and Chamomile (Part 40)  
> 7\. The Italian Restaurant (Part 3)  
> 8\. Ground Rules (Part 43)  
> 9\. Do The Hustle (Part 21)  
> 10\. The Secret Ingredient (Part 65)  
> 11\. Wherever You Are, There I Am (Part 8)  
> 12\. Perfect (Part 16)  
> 13\. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (Part 49)  
> 14\. Practical Jokes and Other Misunderstandings (Part 14)  
> 15\. Cobble Hill (Part 4)  
> 16\. The Sunnybrook (Part 51)  
> 17\. House Warming (Part 15)  
> 18\. 30 (Part 30)  
> 19\. Hong Kong (Part 35)  
> 20\. Twenty Questions Over Brunch (Part 11)  
> 21\. Hildy (Part 5)  
> 22\. Burgers & Lies (Part 9)  
> 23\. You Say You Want A Revolution (Part 22)  
> 24\. Unexpected Gifts (Part 70)  
> 25\. Look Me In The Eye And Make Me Feel The Truth (Part 12)  
> 26\. Fight Night (Part 20)  
> 27\. Fear and Loathing (Part 42)  
> 28\. With The Band (Part 53)  
> 29\. The Scarecrow (Part 59)  
> 30\. An Island Of His Own Making (Part 74)  
> 31\. Pas de Deux (Part 75)  
> 32\. Take It Back (Part 76)  
> 33\. Into Thin Air (Part 17)  
> 34\. Haunted (Part 58)  
> 35\. It’s Just Like Falling (Part 27)  
> 36\. Will You Still Love Me, Tomorrow? (Part 7)  
> 37\. Life With The Arrow (Part 23)  
> 38\. Up All Night (Part 6)  
> 39\. Welcome Home (Part 10)  
> 40\. Deadshot (Part 62)  
> 41\. Better Than Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes (Part 24)  
> 42\. The Right To Remain Silent (Part 61)  
> 43\. Home Is Where You Are (Part 2)  
> 44\. Somebody Get A Hammer (Part 26)  
> 45\. Tush Push (Part 48)  
> 46\. Elves (Part 68)  
> 47\. Three (Part 13)  
> 48\. Life Lived In The Tabloids (Part 18)  
> 49\. Tokyo Calling (Part 25)  
> 50\. Something Blue (Part 39)  
> 51\. Prudence Chastity (Part 19)  
> 52\. Love Is Worth It In The End (Part 33)  
> 53\. The Mini (Part 38)  
> 54\. The Hall of Fame (Part 46)  
> 55\. A Name By Any Other (Part 47)  
> 56\. The Drop Out (Part 32)  
> 57\. Homework (Part 64)  
> 58\. Count Your Blessings (Part 71)  
> 59\. William (Part 29)  
> 60\. Hold On For One More Day (Part 31)  
> 61\. I Have No Gifts To Bring (Part 72)  
> 62\. Yours, Mine, Ours (Part 37)  
> 63\. Rules Are Made To Be Broken (Part 55)  
> 64\. The Forty-Year-Old Graduate (Part 78)  
> 65\. Hope Is Believing In The Light When All You See Is Darkness (Part 52)  
> 66\. Emma (Part 77)  
> 67\. Open Up And Say Ah (Part 60)  
> 68\. Saturdays With The Green Arrow (Part 34)  
> 69\. I Would Not Trade What Might Have Been For What Is (Part 50)  
> 70\. Brothers (Part 45)  
> 71\. Hallelujah (Part 69)  
> 72\. The Green Arrow Did It (Part 73)  
> 73\. Strawberry Milkshake With A Side Of Why (Part 56)  
> 74\. All About The Jeans (Part 54)  
> 75\. A Bunny For Prue (Part 63)  
> 76\. Day 107 (Part 67)  
> 77\. Boys Who Kiss Boys Who Kiss Girls Who Kiss Boys Who Kiss Boys (Part 57)  
> 78\. Scars (Part 79)  
> 79\. Tummy Aches and Heart Aches (Part 66)  
> 80\. Gut Punch (Part 80)  
> Welcome to any new readers who have stumbled into this universe. The more the merrier.
> 
> Arrow and its characters do not belong to me.

Artwork by ligiapimenta

 

Tommy unlocked their front door and his sullen and angry thirteen-year-old purposefully knocked his shoulder into him as he walked through the door. He took a deep breath and prayed for patience as he dealt with his son. Nate was about to climb the stairs to hide and Tommy was not about to let that happen, “Definitely not, you’re not disappearing into your room. In the kitchen, we’re talking about what happened.”

“I don’t want to talk to you,” Nate shouted.

“Too bad,” Tommy approached the stairs, “you get in a fist fight with three boys in gym class, you’re required to talk to me.”

“Why’d they call you anyway?” Nate scowled.

Tommy resisted rolling his eyes, “Because I’m the parent least likely to send you to live with your aunts Sara and Nyssa over this.” He pointed towards the kitchen, “You either let me clean your cuts or you can spend the rest of the afternoon at the Emergency Room and then I will call your mom and dad.”

Nate huffed with annoyance, but he marched himself into the kitchen. The older Nate got, the more he resembled Oliver in both appearance and temper. Tommy had mastered dealing with Oliver’s temper long ago, but the ability to consistently defuse their son’s temper remained elusive.

Bobby was raiding the refrigerator when Tommy and Nate entered the kitchen. His eldest was wearing headphones and singing to himself. He was oblivious that he was no longer alone. Tommy could hear the washing machine running and he couldn’t help but smile that his genius child with two PhDs, a job and a trust fund was too cheap to grocery shop or to pay to use the washer and dryer at his apartment building.

Bobby smiled sheepishly when he saw his father, “Hi da. I was making a sandwich do you wa…” His sentence trailed off when he saw the state of his little brother, “What the hell happened?” He put the stack of food in his hands onto the counter. “Are you okay?”

Nate just shrugged, “It’s no big deal.”

“I hope the other guy looks worse,” Bobby said seriously.

Nate grinned and then winced when his split lip pulled, “They all look worse than me.”

“Good for you,” Bobby said. “Do you want a sandwich?”

Tommy shot his eldest a look. The last thing he needed was for Bobby to condone his little brother’s behavior. Nate settling his problems with his fists was not an isolated occurrence. All of Tommy’s children had been schooled in self-defense from the moment they could talk in complete sentences. With Oliver for a father, Roy and Diggle for uncles, Sara, Nyssa and Lyla for aunts and Lance as a grandfather, there was very little chance that his kids wouldn’t know how to throw a punch. Until Nate, none of their children had ever gotten into fights beyond an elementary school playground scuffle. His sweet, sensitive, mild-mannered baby boy had turned into a quick tempered and angry teenager when puberty hit. He pulled an ice pack from the freezer that Oliver normally used on his knees, “Put this on your eye.”

“It’s fine,” Nate hissed as he pushed Tommy’s hand away.

“Your eye is swelling shut. Put the ice on it, now,” Tommy said sharply.

“Da’s right, you should really ice it,” Bobby said as he prepared three sandwiches.

Nate grabbed the ice pack from Tommy, “Fine.” He sat on one of the kitchen stools and placed the ice pack over his eye.

“What happened in gym class?” Tommy asked calmly.

“Nothing,” Nate responded.

Tommy made a mental note to thank Oliver for passing on the phrase, _nothing_ , to their children. “Nathaniel, I received a phone call from your principal telling me that you beat up three of your classmates. That is not nothing. What did the boys say to upset you?”

“Nothing,” he repeated.

“You expect me to believe that you just beat up three random boys because you just felt like it?”

“Believe whatever you want,” Nate snipped, “you always do.”

“Bud, I’m trying to give you a chance to explain yourself. You’re about to get suspended, again. You know where your dad wants to send you to school. You better have a better explanation than this or he will move you to Westminster.”

“Mom won’t let him,” the thirteen-year-old said defiantly.

“You seriously underestimate how worried your mother is about your behavior,” Tommy said as he ignored the stirrings of a headache. He longed for the chaos of toddlers. Teenagers were so much more challenging than he ever expected. He thought that after all the stunts he and Oliver had pulled when they were teens he would’ve been more than adequately prepared to be a parent to teens. As frustrated as he was by Nate’s behavior, Oliver and Felicity were ready to ship him to Nanda Parbat.

“Just tell us what happened,” Bobby said looking up from his sandwiches.

The front door opened and closed with a slam. The sound of running feet approached the kitchen. “Nate. Nate,” Prue cried.

“Kitchen,” he called out to his twin.

Prue and Becca entered the kitchen together. The girls’ appearances were a study in contrasts. Becca was 5’10” with dark brown hair while her little sister was 5’1” with light blonde hair. They did share their mother’s eyes, her curls and her mannerisms. Their faces were both scrunched in identical looks of concern as they entered the kitchen and quickly morphed into outrage when they saw the state of their brother’s face.

Prue ran right up to her twin, stood up on her toes and pulled the ice pack from his eye. She winced when she took in his whole face. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”

“I’m fine,” he groused.

She whacked his arm with her hand, “Are you nuts? What were you thinking?”

“That they needed to be shut up,” he said angrily.

“What did they need to shut up about?” Tommy interrupted.

“They called me stupid,” Nate lied.

If Tommy hadn’t been so upset, he would’ve laughed at his other three children’s identical incredulous reactions to Nate’s lie. “Try again,” he instructed. “Preferably, the truth this time.”

“It’s my fault,” Prue’s voice quavered.

Nate’s face softened for a moment before he remembered his anger, “No, it’s not. I punched them. I’ve been suspended. I promise not to do it again,” he said robotically to his father.

“Nate, we can’t go around punching people we disagree with. It’s not acceptable. With your training, you could’ve done serious damage to those boys,” Tommy tried to reason.

“You’re just worried about getting sued and having to pay money to these guys,” Nate sneered.

Tommy chose not to dignify his son’s ridiculous statement with a comment. He was less concerned with a lawsuit and more worried that the police were going to arrest him for assault, “Violence should never be your first resort.”

“I told them to shut up, but they kept on talking, so I hit them.” Nate lifted his chin defiantly and challenged Tommy to continue his line of questioning.

“Not good enough,” Tommy said calmly. “You have five minutes to tell me what happened today or you are grounded for a month. No electronics. No afterschool activities. No friends. Just school and homework.”

“You can’t do that,” Nate hopped off his stool and stepped around Prue, “you have no right.”

Tommy shook his head, “Last time I looked, my name was on your birth certificate. That gives me every right.”

Nate snorted in derision, “That’s a joke.”

“What’s a joke?” Tommy arched his brow.

“Your name on my birth certificate,” Nate sneered. “Everything about this family is all lies. You’re the biggest liar of them all. We all know that you’re not our real dad,” he gestured towards Prue, “and B2 wishes you weren’t.”

Bobby, Becca and Prue all froze and stared at their brother. Prue put her hands up in self-defense and cautioned her twin, “Nate, don’t.”

Tommy felt like all the air had left the room. He was looking at his children but they looked miles away from him. This was Oliver’s fear, not his. Not once did he ever worry that their children’s love would be contingent on their biology. He took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. He took a step towards his son, “All right, Nate. Let’s take a break. You’re angry. You don’t mean it.”

“Like hell I don’t,” Nate’s face twisted with anger as he stepped into Tommy. “You’re not my father. You’re no more my father than you are William’s. You’re nothing to me.”

Prue stepped between her father and brother and placed her hands on Nate’s chest and pushed against him. “Please, Nate,” she pleaded through her tears, “he’s our da.”

“Take it back,” Becca said forcefully.

“Come on, Nate,” Bobby approached his brother with a hesitant smile, “that’s crazy talk.”

“For a genius, you’re a real moron, Robert,” Nate said sarcastically. “I have two dads, I don’t need to know the biology,” the red-faced teen said in a sing song voice.

Bobby frowned, “I do have two dads and I don’t need to know the biology.”

“Look in a mirror, genius,” Nate gestured between Bobby and Tommy, “the biology is pretty clear. You’re not Robert Queen’s namesake. You’re the mass murderer’s grandson.”

“Stop,” Prue shrieked with her hands covering her ears.

Bobby shoved Nate hard, sending his little brother stumbling backwards, “If it wouldn’t break mom’s heart, I’d knock you on your ass.”

“Enough,” Tommy shouted as he directed a sobbing Prue into Becca’s arms so he could get between his sons.

“I’d like to see you try,” Nate shoved Bobby hard and then swung a punch that the older boy easily avoided.

Before Tommy could react, Bobby had picked Nate up and flipped him onto his back. He sat astride his brother’s chest pinning his arms to his side. The nineteen-year-old leaned forward, “I am Oliver Queen’s son and I just handed you your ass, moron.”

“Robert,” Tommy squeezed his son’s shoulder, “that’s enough.”

Nate’s eyes were closed and his head was turned away from his family. Tears streamed down his face as he squirmed beneath his brother.

“Apologize to da,” Bobby ordered, “or I’ll give you a real reason to cry.”

Tommy grabbed the back of Bobby’s shirt and pulled his eldest to his feet, “I don’t need you fighting my battles and I definitely don’t need you hitting your brother. That’s not how this family treats one another. You’re brothers and sisters, there is no relationship more important and lasting than the one the four of you share. Nothing should come between you, not even me.”

“Sorry, da,” Bobby hung his head.

“Girls,” Tommy said gently, “you should start your homework.”

Prue threw her arms around Tommy’s waist and sobbed into his shirt.

He stroked his daughter’s head, “Everything is fine, I promise.” Her fingers dug into his back and her crying intensified.

Bobby lightly kicked the bottom of Nate’s shoe, “Happy now, asshole? You made Prue cry.”

“Bobby,” Becca pulled on her brother’s hand, “don’t.”

Nate rose to his feet and started towards Prue. His brow furrowed at the sound of his sister’s sobs. He made brief eye contact with Tommy and then sprinted out of the kitchen.

“Nate,” Tommy called after him.

The front door slamming echoed throughout the house.

“I’ll go after him,” Becca offered. “He’s probably heading towards the water.”

“I’m going after him,” Tommy said as he kissed the top of Prue’s head.

Prue let go of her dad, “He didn’t mean it, da. He’s just upset.”

“I know, sweetheart.” Tommy tilted her chin so she was looking at him, “Do you know what happened today?”

“It was all my fault.” Prue’s eyes slid down and away and she whispered, “I started it and Nate stepped in. Those boys deserved to be hit.”

He raised a skeptical eye at his youngest, “You started a fight with three boys?”

Prue’s face turned red, “I didn’t hit them, but I used my loud voice.”

Tommy looked over at Becca who was studiously avoiding eye contact with him, “What about you? Do you know what happened?”

She shrugged her shoulders, “I would’ve decked them too.”

“Are you all right?” he asked Prue with growing concern. For both Becca and Prue to keep quiet, even to protect Nate, meant that whatever the truth was it would upset him more than the three of them lying to him. “Did those boys hurt you?”

Prue shook her head, “They were being jerks, but they didn’t touch me or anything.”

“Are either of you going to tell me what happened?” Tommy asked Prue and Becca who shared a look and then began to intently examine their shoes. “Are you really going to make me ground all three of you? Lies aren’t tolerated in this house.”

Becca looked up like she’d been shocked. “Does it really matter what they said?” she challenged her dad. “They were cruel and hateful. I thought you raised us to protect one another, no matter what. Nate was just doing what he thought was right.”

Tommy sighed. Somehow, he’d managed to raise a family of vigilantes. All his children had an over-developed sense of justice and fair play. “I’m going after Nate. Start your homework. Finish your laundry. I’ll be back to make dinner.” He paused at the kitchen door and turned to look at his kids, “Please don’t call your mom and dad about this. Let’s wait until they get home and hopefully we’ll all have cooler heads. Okay?” All three kids nodded their heads. He smiled with relief. The last thing their situation needed was Oliver’s temper and Felicity’s loud voice.

 

Tommy found Nate at the playground sitting on a swing. His chin was tucked into his chest and he twisted the swing back and forth. Despite the hour, the playground was deserted because a heavy mist had settled over Starling. Umbrellas were useless against the fine spray of rain and anyone who ventured out without protective gear was soaked through within minutes. Tommy draped the coat he grabbed on his way out the door over Nate’s shoulders. He was relieved when his son slipped his arms inside of his coat instead of shirking it onto the ground. Tommy sat in the swing next to his son and waited.

Minutes passed without father or son speaking and only the squeak of the swings broke the silence. It felt to Tommy like he’d spent years of his life in this park watching his four children play. The day Felicity had the twins implanted in her womb he’d brought Bobby and Becca to the park because he thought he was going to go crazy with worry if he stayed at home and waited for news. He’d wiped noses, dried tears and kissed cuts, scrapes and bruises as other parents and the press passed judgment on his choices. More than his choice to be in a relationship with Oliver and Felicity, it was his decision to be a stay at home dad to their brood that had garnered the most snickering and condemnation. He never minded the whispering and pointing because there was nothing he was prouder of than being a parent to his four children. He loved being a dad and he knew that he was a good one, even though he was far from perfect. There were moments he looked back on and wished he’d handled things differently. He wished he’d been more patient when they were little, especially with Bobby and Becca. Once the twins came, so much of his attention was focused on Prue’s health and then Nate’s challenges with reading and writing that he sometimes snapped when Bobby made a mess or Becca demanded attention. He worried that he hadn’t done enough to help Nate when he was little and that was why he was struggling as a teenager. Until Tommy became a parent, he never understood the saying that a parent was only as happy as their unhappiest child. As long as Nate was unhappy, Tommy was unhappy. He wanted to fix whatever was eating away at his son.

“How’s Prue?” Nate asked, barely above a whisper.

“She’s upset, but she’ll be fine,” Tommy responded.

Nate nodded his head slightly but didn’t look up.

“Do you want to tell me why you said what you said?”

Nate shrugged, “I was angry.”

“Your dad used to get angry when he was your age?” Tommy offered quietly.

Nate scoffed, “Is this another way to remind me how I’m his son and not yours?”

“No,” Tommy grabbed the chains of his son’s swing and pulled him closer, “because you are my son. No matter what your DNA says, you are my child and your daddy’s. You can be as angry as you want with me. You can say whatever hurtful and terrible things you want to me. None of that will change how much I love you. I am your father, just like I’m Bobby, Becca and Prue’s. I’ve loved you from the moment I read your mom’s positive pregnancy test and I will love you even when I’m no longer here.”

Nate looked up, “Where are you going?”

Tommy shook his head and smiled, “I’m not going anywhere. Not for a long time.”

Nate dug his heels into the sand, “What did daddy get angry about?”

Tommy had made a conscious choice to never discuss his childhood or Malcolm with his children. He didn’t want his children to feel pity for him. Whenever they asked about life with Malcolm, he told them he was away most of the time. When the children learned about the Undertaking, Oliver simply told them that Malcolm was a bad man who did a bad thing. Tommy decided that learning the truth might be helpful in giving his son greater insight into him. “My father used to hit me,” he admitted. “Your daddy would get angry about that.”

Nate’s eyes went wide with surprise. He swallowed heavily, “You don’t mean spanking.”

“No,” Tommy shook his head, “it wasn’t spanking.” He gauged his son’s reaction to decide how much he should reveal. Nate looked confused but not upset, so Tommy continued, “It started as slaps, but eventually he used his fists and feet.” His fingers trailed across his cheek as he remembered, “He fractured my cheekbone. He broke my ribs.” Tommy trailed a finger over his eyebrow, “He gave me this scar when I was fifteen.” He took hold of his son’s hand, “I’m not telling you this because I think you’re anything like my dad, but to explain why I don’t like violence to be anyone’s first instinct. I don’t like you using your fists because I know you have a good heart.”

Nate sucked in a breath, “Why didn’t anyone help you?”

“It was complicated,” he said truthfully. “My dad was powerful and he had leverage against a lot of people who could’ve helped. I also never told the truth to anyone but your dad.”

“Why?”

“Why didn’t I tell anyone?”

“No, why’d your dad hurt you?”

Tommy smiled sadly, “That’s the million-dollar question and I don’t have an answer for you. After having the four of you, I understand even less.” His son looked disappointed in his non-answer. “He was angry about my mom’s murder. I think I was a constant reminder of what he lost.”

“That sounds like an excuse,” Nate said simply.

“Yeah,” Tommy agreed. “My dad wasn’t a good man. He liked to control people and I think he enjoyed hurting people. I think he really enjoyed hurting me.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I used to ask myself that question all the time until I realized it had nothing to do with me. My dad hitting me was his fault not mine.” Tommy smiled at his son, “All of his beatings taught me two things.”

“What’s that?”

“They taught me that DNA doesn’t mean anything. He was my dad and us sharing DNA didn’t make a bit of difference.”

“What’s the second thing?”

“That your dad is a loyal friend and I’m lucky to be loved by him.”

Nate knocked his knees into Tommy’s, “Daddy doesn’t like it when anyone is mean to you. He’s going to be really mad at me.”

Tommy knocked his shoulder into Nate’s, “Your dad doesn’t need to know what you said. I won’t tell and neither will your brother and sisters.”

The scowl returned to Nates’ face, “You like keeping secrets from dad. Mom too.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Tommy was surprised by his son’s quick reversion to anger.

“I didn’t punch those guys because they said something about Prue. They’ve been saying mean things about me and Prue for years. I punched them because of you,” Nate stood up and began to pace.

“Me? It doesn’t matter what anyone says about me. People have been saying mean things about me for almost forty years. We don’t hit people who say things we don’t like.”

“I know,” Nate locked eyes with Tommy.

Tommy remained at a loss, “Know what?”

“That you’re cheating on mom and dad,” Nate shouted angrily.

The idea of cheating on Oliver and Felicity was absurd and he scoffed, “I’m not having an affair.”

“A bunch of us went to the diner after practice last month, I saw you with a man and so did the boys I punched.” Nate reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell, “I took pictures of you. How could you cheat on mom and dad? They love you so much and you’re just going to leave all of us for this guy? He’s short and bald.”

Tommy stood up, “I’m not cheating on your mom and dad.” Nate pushed his cell against Tommy’s chest, “I don’t need to see the pictures. I know who I saw at the diner and what we did. The man you saw me with, his name is Alex. He’s an old friend.” Alex was William’s age and had grown up in the Glades. Tommy had befriended him after he attempted suicide after being rejected by his parents for coming out.

“I saw you holding his hands.” Nates’ trembling hand held up his cell in front of Tommy’s eyes. The picture showed Tommy seated across a table from Alex. Tommy’s hand covered Alex’s folded hands. “I also saw you hugging,” Nate sneered. He changed the picture on the screen to reveal Tommy and Alex hugging. “It sure looks like you’re cheating to me.”

“Your mom and dad know I met with Alex. He’d broken up with his boyfriend and he was upset. I met with him to make sure he was okay.” Tommy rubbed his eyes, “Why didn’t you come over to the table?”

“Because I didn’t want to interrupt your date,” Nate shouted.

“You should’ve just asked me about it instead of stewing about it for over a month,” Tommy was beyond shocked that his son would think he’d have an affair. The look on his daughters’ faces when he confronted them popped into his head, “Did you tell your sisters that I’m cheating on your mom and dad?’

Nate looked at his feet.

“Oh, bud,” Tommy was at a loss. “Alex is a friend who was hurting. It was just a cup of coffee and a sympathetic ear.”

Nate shook his head as he looked at the pictures on his phone, “You’re not leaving us?”

“Leaving you?” Tommy tipped his son’s chin up so he could see his eyes, “Nate, why would you ever think I’d leave you?”

“I heard you and daddy fighting a few weeks ago.” Nate blinked his tear-filled eyes, “You told him that you’d had enough and you were ready to walk away. You said that mommy could deal with him.”

Tommy covered his smile with his hand. Nate was right, Oliver and he had had a fight about the time his allegedly retired vigilante husband was spending with the Justice League. “Bud, your daddy and I were having a disagreement about the board of QC,” he said in a statement that was mostly true.

Nate’s face scrunched up in a perfect imitation of Oliver’s skeptical look, “It didn’t sound like you were fighting about work.”

“I want to step down from Chairman of the QC board and I want your daddy to take back his seat. That was the big fight. I was talking about walking away from the board, not your mom and dad or you guys.” He brushed Nate’s hair from his eyes, “You and your brother and sisters are the most important part of my life. I would never walk away from you, ever.”

Nate hung his head and began to cry. Tommy wrapped his arms around his son and kissed the top of his head. Nate wrapped his arms around his dad, “I’m sorry, da.”

“I know, son.” Tommy draped his arm around Nate’s shoulder. “Let’s go home.”

“Am I still grounded?” he asked with an impish grin.

“So grounded,” Tommy said with a smile as he ruffled Nate’s hair.

“Are you going to tell dad what I said?”

“About me having an affair?” Tommy grinned, “I think he’ll get a kick out of that.”

“No, about me saying you’re not my dad,” Nate said solemnly.

“We all say things we don’t mean when we’re angry. I don’t think your mom and dad need to hear every word of our fight, do you?”

Nate shook his head, “Bobby, Becks and Prue were there.”

“Yeah, I’d be less worried about your mom and dad and more worried about them. You need to apologize.”

“I didn’t tell them anything they don’t already know,” Nate said defensively.

“Maybe not, but it’s what you think you know. None of you have ever actually asked for confirmation. It’s their choice, not yours to ask that question. Maybe they all want to believe that we’re both their biological dads, even though they know it isn’t possible.”

“What about you and daddy?”

“What about me and daddy?”

“Do you believe you’re both our real dads?”

Tommy hated the phrase, real dad. Being a real dad had nothing to do with biology. “We don’t believe it. We know it. You four are equally our children. We don’t love you differently. You’re ours. It has been that way from the moment we found out your mom was pregnant with Bobby and it wasn’t any different with Becca or when the doctor showed us two beating hearts when she was pregnant with you.”

“How can you not love Bobby more than you love me?”

“How could I love Bobby more than I love you or Becca or Prue?” he asked. “I was there when each of you were born. The moment I saw you guys, you were my babies. The joy I felt when I held each of you for the first time was the same joy. Love is love, Nate. It is more powerful than you know.”

They walked back to the house in silence. Nate stopped on the stair ahead of Tommy, “I don’t love mom or daddy more than I love you.”

“I know that, Nathaniel,” Tommy said truthfully.

With a serious face, Nate said, “But you are my favorite.”

Tommy pulled his keys from his pocket, “Nice try, bud. You’re still grounded.”

Nate grinned and bumped his shoulder into his dad, “It was worth a shot.”

 

Tommy was brushing his teeth when a knock sounded on their bedroom door. He poked his head out the bathroom door to see Nate shuffling from side to side at the foot of their bed. His son winced and gave him a little wave and he instantly recognized the look of a Queen on a kamikaze mission. He quickly rinsed his mouth and hurried back into the bedroom. “Everything all right, bud? Do you want some Tylenol for your pain?” he asked hoping that was the reason for their son’s visit.

“No, thank you,” he said as he rubbed his thumb and forefinger together.

“If you’re here to renegotiate the terms of your grounding, you can forget about it, mister,” Felicity peered at her son over the top of her glasses.

Nate nodded his head in agreement, “I’m here to talk about the fight.”

“You’re going to tell us what the boys said to you?” Oliver put his tablet down.

“Not that fight, but when I tell you about the other fight, the fight at school will make more sense, I think,” Nate babbled.

“Nate,” Tommy cautioned quietly. The last thing they needed was to have a huge fight right before bed.

“It’s not fair to you to keep the secret,” Nate said apologetically.

“What secret?” Oliver growled.

Felicity reached out and tugged on Oliver’s hand, “It’s okay, monkey. Tell us what happened.”

“I accused da of cheating on you,” Nate said barely above a whisper.

“What?” Oliver and Felicity asked at the same time.

“He saw me at the diner with Alex last month after his breakup. Nate misunderstood what he was seeing,” Tommy explained.

“That’s not the worst part,” Nate began.

“Really, accusing your dad of having an affair isn’t the worst part?” Felicity asked sarcastically.

Nate’s rocking side to side picked up speed and his cheeks flamed in shame, “I told him he wasn’t my dad or Prue’s and that B2 wished that he wasn’t.”

Oliver’s scowl looked thunderous and he stared at their son. Felicity patted Tommy’s spot on the bed and Nate sat down. She took hold of her son’s hand, “Why would you say that?”

Nate’s ears and face turned bright red, “I was angry and I wanted to hurt his feelings.”

“Do you need to talk about this?” Felicity asked kindly. “Do you need to talk about your dads?”

Nate lowered his head and his tears landed on the duvet. He shook his head, “It’s kind of obvious.” He looked between his dads, “I look just like daddy and William. Bobby looks just like da.”

“Are you asking for confirmation as to whose sperm made you?” Felicity handed Nate a tissue.

He wrinkled his nose at the word sperm. He looked at Tommy, “If I ask, it won’t change how you feel about me?”

Tommy moved around the bed and sat next to him. He wrapped an arm around his shoulder and tucked him into his side, “Nathaniel, there is nothing you can do, say or ask that will ever make me love you any less. You’re my son.”

Nate swallowed heavily, “Are you my biological father?”

Tommy smiled sadly and wiped a tear from Nate’s cheek. No matter the answer, his words were guaranteed to break his son’s heart, “No, I’m not. Your daddy is.”

The thirteen-year-old’s face crumpled and he collapsed against Tommy. His shoulders began to shake and he buried his face in Tommy’s t-shirt. Tommy’s arms wrapped around his son and held him tightly as he wept. Oliver slid across the bed and wrapped his arms around both Tommy and Nate. Oliver kissed his husband’s temple and then rested his hand on the top of their son’s head. Felicity’s arms encircled her son and she rested her forehead between his shoulder blades. The four of them clung to one another as they all cried.

When Nate’s tears had subsided, he looked up at Oliver, “I’m not crying because I’m upset you’re my bio dad.”

Oliver kissed his son’s forehead, “I know. I understand why you’re sad.”

“I knew that only one of you could be my dad. I’m a terrible student, but even I understand where babies come from,” he smiled sheepishly. “It’s just that,”

“You hoped,” Felicity offered.

Nate nodded, “Yeah. I understand now why Bobby never wants to know the truth - the truth feels pretty crappy. I guess he really is a genius.”

“Hey,” Tommy gently guided his son to look at him, “nothing has changed. Your knowledge of your biology doesn’t change anything important. You are the same person you were this morning. I am still your dad. I still love you. Your dad and your mom still love you. We are still a family.” When Nate’s eyes filled with tears he continued, “I still get to ground you. I’m still going to embarrass you in front of your friends.”

Nate chuckled, “So do mom and dad.”

“Yes, but I embarrass you with style and panache,” Tommy teased.

“I love you, da,” Nate smiled with tears glistening in his eyes.

“I love you too, son,” Tommy kissed his son’s forehead.

“Can I watch Sports Center with you and daddy?”

“Just a half hour,” Felicity said as she picked up her work computer and sat in Tommy’s spot on the bed, “it’s a school night.”

“I’ve been suspended,” Nate reminded his mom with a cheeky grin.

She looked over the top of her glasses, “That fact does little to improve your case. It’s still a school night. You’re going to have plenty of homework to keep you busy while you’re suspended.”

Nate groaned but crawled over to where Tommy was now sitting in Felicity’s space. Oliver put the television on and lifted his arm and Tommy slid beneath it. Tommy rested his head on Oliver’s chest and reached over to squeeze their son’s hand in reassurance. “Who do you think the Rocket’s should trade?” Tommy asked their son.

“They need a left-handed reliever,” Nate answered as he leaned against the headboard.

“Ramirez or Santiago?” Oliver asked.

“Cafferty,” Nate responded.

Both of his dads stared at Nate with disbelief. Tommy snorted and touched Nate’s forehead, “I think you were out in the rain too long. It short circuited your brain.”

“Cafferty’s ERA will be interesting to St, Louis and they’ll be willing to give us Torres,” Nate said with confidence.

“Care to make it interesting?” Oliver asked.

Felicity cleared her throat loudly. Tommy resisted rolling his eyes, “Your mom only approves of counting cards.” Felicity reached across her son and pinched Tommy, “Ow.”

“If I’m right you take a week off my grounding,” Nate said cheekily.

“And if you’re wrong?” Oliver challenged.

“I’ll do two extra credit projects this semester,” Nate said confidently.

“Nope,” Felicity said without looking up, “extra credit projects are not optional for you.”

Nate sighed, “Fine. I’ll give up my tablet for a week.”

“I was thinking you’d do the dishes, pots and pans included, for a week,” Oliver countered.

“You drive a hard bargain,” Nate told his dad with a straight face, “but you’ve got yourself a deal.”

Tommy, Oliver and Nate interrupted the show with occasional commentary. Nate’s hand kept brushing against Tommy’s and he eventually began tracing his dad’s fingers. Tommy took hold of his son’s hand and felt Nate begin to relax next to him. Nate’s question had changed everything and nothing. The children’s paternity had always hung like the Sword of Damocles above all of them. Telling the truth hadn’t brought relief, it had planted a small seed of fear in Tommy’s chest. His love for his children was absolute. Nate and Prue were every bit as much his children as Bobby and Becca. He worried that the truth would change things for Nate. He didn’t know if his son would ever see him the same way.

Tommy turned his head so his eyes were buried against Oliver’s chest. He needed to regain his composure. His feelings were irrelevant in comparison to what his son was experiencing.

“You’re not going to suddenly start being nice to me?” Nate pulled on Tommy’s hand.

“What?” Tommy asked turning to face his son. “I’m always nice to you.”

Nate rolled his eyes, “Yeah, but you yell a lot too.”

“Are you going to start being on time and doing all of your homework?” Tommy asked sincerely.

“Probably not,” Nate admitted.

“Then, I’m probably going to keep yelling at you,” Tommy promised.

A look of relief washed over Nate’s face. He smiled at Tommy, “Good, I don’t want you to stop being my da.”

Tommy sat up and crushed his son to his chest. He pressed his lips to the top of his son’s ear, “I’m always going to be your da. You’re stuck with me.”

“You’re stuck with me too,” Nate grinned.

“All right,” Felicity put down her computer, “bedtime for you.”

Nate kissed Felicity’s cheek, “Night mom.”

“Night baby,” Felicity squeezed his hand.

Nate lingered at the door, “I’m sorry about causing so much trouble today.”

“We know,” Oliver reassured his son, “but next time, talk to us before you take your anger out on your classmates.”

“Okay,” Nate shuffled his feet. “Good night.”

“Night,” his parents responded.

Tommy waited for the door to close behind their son before he took a shuddering breath. He pushed the heel of his hands against his eyes, “Do you think he’s okay?”

Felicity wrapped her arms around his waist, “You did really well. You did what we always said we’d do if this day ever came. You told him the truth and you told him you love him. Now we keep an eye on him and if he isn’t okay, we’ll do something.”

Oliver took hold of Tommy’s hands and lowered them, “I won’t ask if you’re okay. I know you’re not.”

Tommy held onto Felicity and reached for Oliver, “Hold me.”

Oliver turned off the lights and returned to their bed. Tommy draped his arm across Oliver’s chest and placed his head on Oliver’s pillow. Felicity was pressed against his back with her arm banded around him. Tommy whispered into the darkness, “Tell me everything is going to be all right.”

Oliver kissed Tommy gently, “Everything is going to be all right, I promise.”

More than anything, Tommy wanted to believe his husband, “How do you know?”

Felicity leaned over Tommy and kissed his cheek, “Because, we are a family, no matter what. Nate knows that because you taught him that. He will always love you unconditionally because it is how you’ve always loved him. Everything is going to be all right.”

“Our wife is pretty smart and always right,” Oliver laced his fingers with Tommy’s.

“That – actually – makes me feel better,” Tommy snuggled closer to Oliver and pulled Felicity closer. There weren’t a lot of things Tommy had faith in, but he had complete faith in Oliver and Felicity. He would trust that his spouses were right and put his faith in their family and the love they shared. They would get through this like they’d gotten through everything over the past twenty-seven years – together.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Kudos and comments are always welcomed and appreciated. Hearing from you is my favorite part of the day.
> 
> The vote tallies from last Saturday's posting are below in parenthesis. Saturday's story with be #2.  
> 1\. Tommy and Oliver take Bobby to his first baseball game. They have a run in with some drunk guys. Later that night Bobby asks Oliver why they were being called names. It's actually a sweet story despite that description. (12)  
> 2\. Becca has a good reason to be afraid of the paparazzi. This fic is set during Felicity's postpartum depression and we will see Tommy angry with her. Lots of angst. (14)  
> 3\. Tommy is in therapy after Haunted and asks Oliver to come to his next session. There is a flashback to the incident they fight about in Take It Back. (6)  
> 4\. Nate struggles with issues of identity and paternity. (15)
> 
> You can also come say hi to me on tumblr. http://realityisoverrated-fic.tumblr.com/


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